Benefits Buzz
2016 Presidential Candidates and Health Care
Posted on April 25th, 2016
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The President of the United States can have a significant impact on the shape and direction of health care, as has been seen with President Obama and the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The American people will cast their vote for the next President of the United States on November 8, 2016. The future of the health care industry will largely be influenced by the outcome of the election. Here is a very high level summary on how the presidential candidates have suggested they would change the health care industry:
Donald Trump
- Repeal the ACA
- Expand the use of Health Savings Accounts
- Preserve Medicare by strengthening the economy
- Allow consumers to purchase health insurance plans from insurers in any state
Ted Cruz
- Repeal the ACA
- Expand the use of Health Savings Accounts
- Increase the age for Medicare eligibility and move to a system where people are given a fixed amount of money to buy a Medicare plan, and they pay the difference if the plan selected is more than the contribution from the government
- Allow consumers to purchase health insurance plans from insurers in any state
John Kasich
- Repeal the ACA
- Comprehensive review of drug industry pricing practices
- Expand Medicare Advantage plans
- Expand an initiative started in Ohio using patient-centered medical homes (PCMH) which incorporates a team-based method of providers who coordinate medical care
Hillary Clinton
- Supports the ACA
- Cap out-of-pocket spending on drugs at $250/month and speed up the process the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses for approving generic drugs
- Negotiate drug prices directly with drug companies to get better deals for Medicare beneficiaries
- Increase price transparency for medical services
Bernie Sanders
- Supports a “Medicare-for-all” single payer system
- Private health insurance would generally only exist to supplement Medicare
- Negotiate drug prices directly with drug companies to get better deals for Medicare beneficiaries
- Allow consumers to purchase and import drugs from Canada
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The materials contained within this communication are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal or tax advice.